All Railway Gazette International articles in September 1999 – Page 3

  • News

    Industry in Brief

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    France: Alcatel has appointed Credit Suisse First Boston to find a buyer for its Saft batteries operation. Sale to another manufacturer or an investment concern is expected to be completed by the end of September, and offers of more than 500m euros are anticipated.Ascom Monétel, Ascom Elsydel and Ascom SA ...

  • News

    Passenger in Brief

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    n France Télécom is to remove its 700 payphones installed in domestic SNCF TGV trainsets, as usage has fallen with the rising popularity of mobile phones. The space freed is to be enclosed as an area where mobile phones can be used without disturbing other passengers.n Ticket machines have been ...

  • News

    Products in Brief

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    Faiveley Transport is supplying 250 TOM data recorders to Alstom Transport, meeting ERTMS requirements and capable of resisting temperatures as high as 700í C as well as loads of 2 tonnes. The data recorders are being installed in tilting trains for Virgin West Coast, Class 334 EMUs for ScotRail, Class ...

  • News

    Last segment completes Øresund bridge

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    A royal ceremony marked the placing of the last section of the spectacular 7·8 km Øresund bridge on August 14

  • News

    Private operators to boost recovery

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    INTRO: Sudan Railways Corp has embarked on a three-year transition to transfer freight and passenger services to the private sector, and generate investment to bring the network up to a modern standardBYLINE: Eng Omer M M NourGeneral ManagerSudan Railways CorpAS PRESIDENT of the Arab Union of Railways, I have great ...

  • News

    HSL bidders line up

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    NETHERLANDS Minister of Transport Tineke Netelenbos should be pleased with the response to the call for bids to run international passenger services on the future HSL-Zuid between Amsterdam and Antwerpen. Among the 13 respondents were domestic organisations and firms from Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden and Britain, where Virgin Trains expressed ...

  • News

    Chinese metro ban is lifted

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    CHINA's State Planning Committee has lifted the embargo on new metro construction which was imposed in 1995 to limit demands for foreign exchange. Vice-Minister of Construction Zhao Baojiang announced on August 8 that urban rail expansion was now to be encouraged as a means of stimulating the national economy. ...

  • News

    Peru concessions awarded

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    SEPTEMBER 21 is due to see the management of three rail networks in Peru transferred to private sector consortia. The government has awarded two 30-year concessions which each include an option for a further 30-year extension.One grouping, led by Sea Containers and Peruval Corp, will take over Enafer’s 914mm gauge ...

  • News

    Operators await TBTC standards

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    INTRO: Recent Transmission-Based Train Control pilot projects and new efforts to set international standards foreshadow the future direction for the next generation of train control technology. But where is it all going and why is it taking so long?BYLINE: Tom SullivanTransportation Systems Design Inc*CALL IT WHAT you will, Transmission-Based Signalling, ...

  • News

    Railsim available for license

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    Systra Consulting Inc has released Version 7 of its Railsim¨ Train Performance Calculator, a program for simulating and analysing train performance including journey time predictions, maximum attainable speeds and safe braking distances. The standard licence package includes TPC, three rolling stock libraries and two rolling resistance algorithms, as well as ...

  • News

    Austrian Federal shares in Taurus loco build

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    DELIVERY of the first of 75 high performance Taurus electric locomotives to Austrian Federal Railways is scheduled for January. Ordered in 1997 from Siemens Austria at a cost of ASch2·7bn, the Bo-Bo Class 1016 locos are the first fruits of a major locomotive replacement programme. Options exist for 325 more, ...

  • News

    Aqaba closer

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    FORMAL signing of a 25-year concession to operate and expand Jordan’s 1050mm gauge Aqaba Railway was expected towards the end of last month, following the approval of the deal by the country’s cabinet on August 8.A consortium led by Wisconsin Central International and Raytheon Infrastructure was selected last November as ...

  • News

    Madrid approves Metro Sur

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    PUBLIC CONSULTATION began in July for the route of a 40 km metro loop serving the rapidly expanding southern suburbs of the Spanish capital. Madrid Region’s Councillor for Public Works Luis Eduardo Cortés explained the definitive route alignments for the Metro Sur project. This is to serve the satellite towns ...

  • News

    Manila upgrade approved

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    THE PHILIPPINES government announced on July 26 that it had approved a P7·6bn expansion package for Manila’s light rail Line 1. The target is to boost capacity from 27000 to 40000 passengers/h in each direction. This will involve improvements to the signalling and power supplies plus the purchase of 12 ...

  • News

    Amcoach dinner service

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    AS PART of its Service Standard Initiative to ensure improved amenities and consistent quality of service for long-distance passengers, Amtrak has introduced a Coach Dinner Service for passengers who cannot be accommodated in the dining car. Coach class passengers can purchase pre-prepared fixed-price meals, which can be eaten in the ...

  • News

    Airport link to be rebranded

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    British train operator Gatwick Express is rolling out a new corporate identity that aims to create a strong and dynamic brand image for the London Victoria - Gatwick Airport service. As well as the red and silver-grey livery worn by the Alstom electric multiple-units (RG 11.98 p774) that will enter ...

  • News

    CFM sales move ahead

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    LAST MONTH the Malagasy government’s privatisation committee announced that it had selected the South African joint venture Comazar as preferred bidder to operate the 730 km metre-gauge northern railway on the island of Madagascar. Under the privatisation process started last year, the deal is due to be completed by the ...

  • News

    Goninan sale agreed

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    Howard Smith Ltd of Australia announced on August 10 that it had signed heads of agreement for the sale of its A Goninan & Co Ltd rolling stock business to engineering company United Group Ltd. Expected to generate proceeds of A$130m for Howard Smith, the sale is due to be ...

  • News

    Slovak loan agreed

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    ON JULY 23 the European Investment Bank confirmed the award of a 200m euros credit for Slovak Republic Railways. To be guaranteed by the Slovak government, the money will help to fund five major investment projects drawn up by ZSR General Director Andrej Egyed (RG 7.99 p459).Around 120m euros will ...

  • News

    Restructuring will reverse African railway decline

    1999-09-01T10:00:00Z

    Many of Africa’s railways are looking at concessioning or some form of restructuring to reverse a disastrous decline in traffic, caused all too often by neglect and deferred maintenance. Our southern Africa correspondent Luke Ripley offers this series of first hand reports